Hers is the Fury
by crushcrucify
Summary: When Lord Steffon Baratheon and his wife left their home one last time, they left behind not only their sons, but their daughter as well. Annelyse Baratheon was only three when she lost her mother and father; will she flourish even without them or wilt like a flower under a bed of snow?


"Mother, please don't go!" Renly - Lord Steffon and Lady Cassana Baratheon's youngest son of six namedays - pleaded.

"Oh, love, we will be back soon. In less than four weeks, with news of prospective brides for Prince Rhaegar. We will be here before you can even begin to miss us." Lady Cassana soothed him, dropping to her knees and opening her arms for a hug.

Renly ran into her arms, trembling slightly. He hadn't told her or anyone else, but the dream - no, _nightmare_ \- he'd had last night had shaken him terribly. He'd been standing on the edge of the harbor with Stannis, Robert and Maester Cressen, fidgeting excitedly as he watched the ship his parents were aloft on slowly approach. There was a storm slowly coming and Renly could feel his brothers murmur uneasily among themselves, but he never thought _that_ would happen.

The breeze picked up, the sea became more restless than it already had been and water smacked against ship. It started swaying without any semblance of control and vaguely, he heard Robert's panicked voice.

"What's ... it isn't going to sink, is it? No ... no, no, no, no, no! Get boats! We have to save them! Mother and father! Get boats! Get ... anything!" He yelled desperately and right after he uttered his last word, the _Windproud_ turned over, slowly sinking into the briny deep.

Renly had shot up in cold sweat in the middle of the night, bawling his eyes out. He'd been too afraid to get out of bed and seek comfort with anyone, scared that if he did, he would discover it had all been real. He'd gripped onto his furs for hours, staring at one spot on the wall, shaking and taking labored breaths. That was how Stannis had found him early morning, looking like a sleep deprived beggar. He'd been endlessly questioned, but after getting no straight answers, his brother sent him to the bathing room and he received a good scrubbing. In the end, he looked as he did normally; it was only his attitude that differed from usual.

"Don't go, mother. Please ..." Renly begged, his face buried in his mothers thick traveling cloak.

"We'll be back soon, my little one." Lady Cassana replied softly.

Two hours later, Renly was numb as he watched the _Windproud_ sail away, and somehow, deep in his bones, the boy of six namedays knew he would never see his parents again.

* * *

"Renly?"

Said boy turned around to see his little sister. Annelyse had just celebrated her third nameday last week, but she couldn't quite comprehend why their parents were gone.

"Where did they go? Are they coming back?" She asked insistently, tugging at his left hand.

"I don't know." Renly replied quietly.

His little sister was quite pretty; she had blonde hair that darkened as she aged, the signature Baratheon blue eyes and soft cheekbones that she'd inherited from their mother.

"Where's Robert? I haven't seen him since mama and papa left." She asked suddenly, her innocent eyes peering up at him curiously.

Renly coughed awkwardly. He was young, not supposed to know what Robert was off doing, but he did, and he wasn't about to explain anything remotely close to the truth to someone even smaller and purer than him.

"He's off in town." He told Annelyse. "Meeting some friends."

She frowned. "He promised he'd show me a warhorse!"

"Well ... I can show you if you want." Renly offered, eager to avoid any sort of hissy fit.

"No," Annelyse shook her head. "But I do want to get something to eat. Something ... sweet. Sweet and chewy. Do you reckon we could find toffee in the kitchens?"

Renly brightened up. "I can sneak us in. I think I heard father order one of the stewards to hide it somewhere in the cupboards."

Annelyse grinned and snatched his hand again. "Lets go, then!"

She dragged him off, and while Renly didn't like to be bossed about by his little sister, he could tell there was effort on her part to make him feel better. It meant a lot, seeing as a girl who only had three years to her name had understood he was upset about something when Robert and Stannis had outright ignored it.

* * *

His fears came true. Four weeks had past since his parents left Dragonstone. A storm was raging when Renly saw them approach, clutching his furs tightly to his chest.

"No, no, no, no. Please ... Mother, Father, Stranger ... please ... anyone! Don't let them die! My parents are good people, faithful people! They never did anything to deserve death. Please, don't let them die!" He quietly pleaded under his breath, but he knew it was in vain.

His prophetic dream came true. The Windproud sank, Robert nearly went insane with grief and Stannis became an emotionless statue. It was hardly half an hour later when Annelyse rushed into Maester Cressen's tower, demanding answers. The girl of three namedays was accompanied by her septa, who was pleading her to return to her lessons, but she was scarcely listening.

"Where are they? Where are they?!" She screamed.

"Little lady, I ..." Cressen faltered.

"No! No, no, no! They aren't dead! They're still alive! They're just swimming! We have to find them! We have to!" She denied, stomping her feet, looking at Robert expectantly.

The new Lord of Storms End had his head in his hands, the wineglass in front of him surprisingly untouched. He looked up at Annelyse with red rimmed eyes and opened his arms. Annelyse burst out crying and hurtled into his embrace, sobbing out denials and begging for what she wanted to be the truth. Renly looked at them and saw himself and their mother, only four weeks before, in the exact same position.

 _'Why did you go? Why did you do that? Why does no one ever listen to me?'_ He demanded himself, utterly heartbroken, but dry of the tears, for he'd been crying every night since his parents left.

Then his gaze locked with Stannis's. He too had tear tracks on his cheeks, but his eyes were wide with shock. He knew. He'd realized it.

"You foretold their death." He whispered, his look stricken.

"No one listened." Renly replied hollowly.

"I'm sorry." Stannis choked.

"Sorry won't bring them back." Renly shut his eyes tightly, clinging onto the last memory he had of his mother; her warm and gentle embrace, that small smile she always wore, her beautiful hairstyles and clothing, the scent of roses and vanilla she always seemed to carry with herself ...

He would never be the same.


End file.
